V.P. Biden To Visit Israel

Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

“The vice president will meet with key leaders in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Jordan,” a White House statement said, adding that the trip will occur during the week of March 8. “During the trip, the vice president will discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues.”

The Obama administration is intensifying its efforts to renew Israeli-Palestinian talks and to increase pressure on Iran to make its nuclear workings more transparent.

Biden will be traveling with his wife, Jill.

A statement released Monday from the prime minister’s office in Israel said that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s important visit to the region.”

The statement called Biden “a true friend of Israel and the peace process,”